Red Wings beat Sharks 6-3 for sixth straight win over San Jose

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Red Wings beat Sharks 6-3 for sixth straight win over San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Kris Draper scored a short-handed goal, and Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom added power-play tallies in a penalty-filled second period that helped the Detroit Red Wings win their sixth straight game over the San Jose Sharks, 6-3 on Saturday night.

Niklas Kronvall, Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary also scored for the NHL-leading Red Wings, who have won back-to-back games following a rare three-game losing streak. Dominik Hasek made 15 saves.

It was another rough night in front of the home crowd for the Sharks, who have won just nine of 24 games at HP Pavilion this season. San Jose managed just one shot in the opening period, allowed four goals in the second and barely threatened in the third. San Jose has lost a season-worst four straight games.

That's been somewhat typical when these two Western Conference have met of late. The Sharks were less than a minute away from taking a 3-1 series lead over the Wings in the second round last May, before blowing the game and losing the final three games of the series.

Detroit has won all three meetings this season and has outscored San Jose 23-7 starting with Robert Lang's game-tying goal with 33.1 seconds left in regulation of Game 4 last year.

There were eight power-play chances in the second period, including one stretch when San Jose had three players in the penalty box after Torrey Mitchell was called for a high-sticking penalty during a 5-on-3 power play for the Red Wings.

Holmstrom deflected Brian Rafalski's shot from the point past Evgeni Nabokov 11 seconds after that penalty, giving the Red Wings a 5-2 lead.

After Draper's short-handed goal 1:26 into the second period following a giveaway by Patrick Marleau made it 2-0 Detroit, the Sharks controlled the play for a stretch.

Rookie Devin Setoguchi, who was recalled from the minors Friday, deflected in a shot from Sandis Ozolinsh on the power play to get the Sharks on the board less than a minute after Draper's goal. Jonathan Cheechoo tied it six minutes later on the power play with just his seventh goal of the season.

But Kronvall put Detroit back on top midway through the second when Ozolinsh deflected his centrings pass into the net. Detroit added the two power play goals from Lidstrom and Holmstrom to regain control. Lidstrom had two assists to go with his goal.

Nabokov had his third straight poor performance since getting his first game of the year last Sunday in Anaheim. Nabokov, who started the first 43 games this season, has allowed 15 goals in three losses since returning to the lineup.

The Sharks generated nothing in the opening period against Hasek, taking more than 17 minutes to manage even a shot on goal - a bad angle shot from near the boards by Matt Carle with 2:53 remaining in the period. That was San Jose's only shot of the period, matching a season low.

Notes: The Sharks got all three of their goals on the power play, including a third-period score by Steve Bernier. ... San Jose C Curtis Brown left in the first period with a hand injury. ... The Sharks also had one shot in the third period of a 4-1 win at Calgary on Oct. 22. ... Detroit tied its season best for fewest shots allowed in the period, matching the one allowed in the first period to Tampa Bay on Nov. 29.